Like an oyster that produces a pearl from a speck of sand, the artist produces grandeur from what others only glance at. Artist Angela Roe makes art from views many of us pass by and as well as from her unique take of the faces of human expression. Her painting “Up in the Clouds” is currently on exhibit at the prestigious Jepson Center in the Friends of African American Artists show.

She says, “I was so honored to be chosen to be in the show. There is no way to describe how it feels to be surrounded by all these amazing artists.”

She also has a working studio gallery at Gallery 101 at City Market Savannah and has exhibited throughout the coastal area.

𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

Originally from south Illinois, Angela grew up on a family farm. “My grandfather, my uncle and my father farmed our forty acres. We were a family of very modest means and there weren’t any other kids around. I was outside and in nature as much as possible,” she says.

Even as a child she was captivated by the beauty of her surroundings. “When I was eight years old, I would sit still and watch the sunrise and sunset for hours a day. It was magical to me,” she says.

Her family is partially descended from Native Americans on both sides, and they lived in harmony with the land as much as possible. “We made tea from sassafras, we looked for arrowheads. Being outside was the best thing in the world and I really enjoyed that time.”

Her painting “Colors of the Wind” (oil paint and gold leaf) is “from my grandfather’s land where I was born and raised. My dad sent me a picture a few months ago and it was something I really wanted to paint.”

Angela was only fifteen when she created a semi- fictitious resume that she sent to every art school she could think of and “every art school I applied to reached out to me. One art school in particular was willing to work with me, but ultimately, we couldn’t afford it and I was heartbroken. But I pursued creating art. I was published locally and won second prize in a competition.”

She was accepted into the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago. While at art school Angela got the message that being a fine artist was not likely to be lucrative, so she concentrated on fashion marketing and management instead.

“I was putting myself through school, working two jobs and going to school full time, when I got this great offer of a job in New York City in my senior year. It was too good to pass up, so I took the job and didn’t finish my senior year. I was Regional Manager for major retail brands, working in LA, NC, AZ, all over the country.”

Angela worked in this field for fifteen years, putting her art on hold. She married and had two children. She says today, “The last few years were hard. I was putting in 70 to 80 hours a week while coping with postpartum depression.”

Angela may have pursued a different path than that of an artist but there was someone who always believed in her talent. “My grandmother was the kind of person who made you believe you could do whatever you want, because she had done it herself.” Her grandmother’s only art was photos of children and grandchildren except for Angela’s artwork which was on every shelf. “My art was on display for everyone.”

And then her grandmother reached the end of her life. “My grandmother had always supported me every step of the way with my art, “she
says,

 “and when I saw her in hospice, I promised her I would quit my job and pursue art again. After she passed, I kept my word and I jumped into art with both feet.”

Angela honors her in her studio. “Her name was Martha Willbank and my work is in memory of her, my biggest fan.”

After not touching a paint brush for years, Angela started again and taught herself the notoriously difficult medium of oil paint. “I really made creating art my full-time job,” she says.

In November she opened a working studio and gallery (with fellow artist Jonathan Keller) at Gallery 101 at City Market Savannah. “The Golden Hour” is the first painting Angela created in the new studio.

Her paintings often feature gold leafing. She says her love of gold leafing started from furniture refinishing, which originated in her childhood.

“My dad would go to auctions and buy antiques, which he would then refinish. I have carried that on in my own home, which although contemporary, feels like walking into a historic home. I paint murals and I love gilded items.”

 Three years ago, she used gold on furniture, and then her paintings. “Tutorials were so flat, so I did trial and error until I figured it out. I really like to try new things and sharpen a skill and I like to help other artists. People usually want to keep their secrets, but a few went above and beyond to help me, so I like to help others in return.”

On her YouTube channel she teaches and shares various painting tips.

Having extensive experience in marketing has been advantageous. Angela says, “I really do use my background and joy of customer service, in fact I don’t think I would be successful without it. My clients should be happy with my work and share their satisfaction, from commissions to art purchased from my gallery.”

 She uses very high-quality canvas and oils so her paintings will last a lifetime and offers a price range from original oils to canvas prints that makes her artwork both affordable and accessible.

Eventually Angela would like to open her own gallery in the Effingham area,

“The only art available now is in the big box stores,” she says, “The majority of my clients live in Effingham, and I would love to have a place for classes with children, as well as original artworks and prints for sale.”

She has lived in Chicago, LA and NY before settling on the Georgia coast. “I fell in love with it here immediately. It felt like coming home from the start.”

When she is not in the studio Angela enjoys exploring the coastal area with her family, “We like kayaking, going to the beach and checking out local farmers markets,” she says. “It’s important to slow down and spend time outside, enjoying the sun, the people, the atmosphere. Every day here is a constant inspiration for me.”

“I studied a lot about depression and anxiety which has really hit people in the last few years. One major cause is not being centered, essentially being on ‘autopilot’. But when people can stop and be in the moment it helps. Nature was always my safe place, and the main goal of my art is to create an emotion so the viewer can feel something when they stop and see the ocean, or a magical sunset depicted in my painting.”

Visit Angela’s gallery or one of her shows and see and feel for yourself her fantastical images and magical scenes of the coastal low country.